Package picker



May 17, 1932. J. T. BEECHLYN PACKAGE PICKER Filed June 11. I931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1932' J. T. BEECHLYN 58,572

PACKAGE PICKER Filed June 11, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 17, 1932 UNrrEn STATES PACKAGE PICKER Application filed .Tune 11,

7 are to provide means, involving a pair of ggripping members, which will descend by gravity or spring action into such position as to grip the package and will have range enough to grip packages of various widths; to provide means whereby a package can be retained in the grippers either by the action of the operator or without any attention on his part; to provide an angular relationship and an angular mounting of the grippers for bringing them both down and inwardly toi ward each other by a single motion and to provide a construction which can be made inexpensively of sheet metal or wire and which will be stron and durable.

Other objects anc advantages of the inven- 4 tion will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings, 1n whlch Fig. 1 1s a side view of a plcker COIHPI'lSlllg.

a preferred embodiment of this invention showing positions of the grippers in full and dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a plan thereof; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 14:

5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another form in which the invention can be made;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation thereof;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 5 showing the pickers in plan;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a portion of the device, and

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5. n

Various devices have been used in stores, particularly the chain stores, for taking down paper cartons and other packages of materials from the upper shelves. Sofar none of them have been very satisfactory and this invention is designed to provide one that will 1931. Serial No. 543,647. 7

be convenient and will not injure the packages. 7

Referring first to the first sheet of drawings, it will be seen that a pole 1O is'used having means at the top for connecting it with the picking device. In the form shown in these figures, the upper end 11 of the pole is made conical and a frame 12 of sheet metal has a conical lower portion fitting the conical end 11. The cone is made with. a high altitude and a short base so that the conical portion of the frame 12can be driven on it and secured thereto by friction alone, if desired, or, of course, a pin can be put through. This frame has a pair of integral ears 13 spaced slightly apart, for apurpose to be described. It extends upwardly at the top and is provided with oppositevertical fiat flanges 14. At the upper edges of the two flanges they are bent over into cylindrical form to form bearings 15 and these bearings are, oppositely inclined, extending downwardly at their outer ends.

In each bearing is pressed in pins obviously being inclined at opposite angles. The pins project at both ends from the bearings and ateach end and constitute a pivot for a gripper-or gripper arms 17. Obviously the gripper arms will swing about the two pins as axes and the reason for their being inclined to each other is that this necessi= tates the swinging of these grippers, both downwardly and inwardly when they drop, thus enabling them to grip the cartons or other packages. These grippers are provided with concave arms 18 covered with. rubber 19, preferably in the form of tubes, forced on the arms and distorted thereby to make fiat but concave gripping surfaces inside.

These gripper arms are made preferably of sheet metal'and of a material width verti. cally.

It will be obvious thatwhen these gripper arms are raised as indicated in dotted lines in'Fig. 1, they will drop by gravity, as practically all their weight is on one side of the pivot and the device canbe made in that way and will operate effectively. However, I have provided a spring extending across from one gripper to the other underneath a pin 16, these to assist gravity and yieldingly pull them down and hold them there in gripping position so as to make the grip more certain. These grippers 17 are formed of a single piece of sheet metal bent into a form to provide the concave arm 18 and then bent around the bearing 15 so as to form a rather wide frame at their butt ends. The end of the sheet metal is brought bacl; into contact with I the ri er fin er17 on its rear surface and can be secured thereto by welding, riveting, or the like so that a rigid gripper is provided.

A very simple operating device is possible with this construction as a horizontal pin 7 21 can be placed through two perforati. ns 22 in the adjacent sides of the grippers, the perforations being larger than the pin so as to allow free motion and prevent binding. On this pin is placed a circumferentially grooved spool 28 over which engages a hook 24 which constitutes the upper end of a vertical oper-- ating wire 25. This operating wire has a part 26 extending around the rod and projecting on one or two sides to provide a horn Zontal fin er operatin handle. When cle b L D pressed it comes into contact with a rubber washer 28. The wire 25 is guided by the guides 13. V

The operation of the device '18 thought to be obvious from what has been said. WVhen an attendant wishes to take a package down from an upper shelf, he depreses the operating handle 26 which pulls the grippers up to the dotted line position in rig. 1. Ho

then lowers the whole thing until. these fingers are on opposite sides of a package and releases the handle 26. Then gravity alone, or gravity assisted by the spring 20, presses the grip downwardly and inwardly so that the package is firmly gripped. L

spring 111 use this device can be used for bow ing cereals. This constitutes an easily manulVith t e tles full of liquid and of course, either with or without the spring it can be used for light paper packages, as for example those containfactured, conveniently operated and v durable construction for the purpose .aended. It can be used for numerous other purposes even for picking fruitofl trees.

In the form shown on the second sheet of drawings, the above mentioned principles are maintained with a wire construction as shown, although either form can be made of wire and either can be made of sheet metal;

gripping members are both provided with gripping arms or grips 39 cover-ed with rubber tubes 40.

The two gripping members therefore are pivoted on inclined axes and one crosses the other at the rear of it. The device is operated by a wire rod 41 extending down the pole and having a thumb piece 41*, preferably in the form of a ring integral with the rod, and guided by staples 42 or other guides'on the rod. At the upper end this rod has a ring 43 integral with it surrounding the upper end of the pole and having a spring 44 under it resting against a horizontal shoulder 45 on the pole and normally holding this ring up against a stop and the grips down. This rod 41 also has a horizontal loop 46 into which extend the rear ends of the two wire members 37 and 38, one behind the other. The operation is the same as the other and the action also is the same.

In both cases a very simple device is provided for the purpose intended and one not likely to get out of order. It has no spurs or the like to injure the packages. The air,

gles of the grippers are less than the socalled reclining angle obtainedfor the materials in contact at the surfaces of the grippers. It will be obvious that the head can be located at other angles in accordance with the use to which the picker is to be applied.

Although I have illustrated and described only two forms of the invention-I am aware of the fact that other modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing. from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore, I do not wish tobe limited in this respect otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but whatI do claim is:

Y 1. As an article of manufacture, an article handling device comprising a pair of gripping arms pivotally mounted and means whereby said arms will swing towardeachother when they swing bodily vertically.

2. As an article of manufacture, an article gripping and handling device comprising a pair of arms adapted to grip articles between them, hand-operating means for moving said arms upwardly and outwardly, and

self-acting means for normally moving the arms inwardly toward each other and downwardly at the same time. 7

3. As an article of manufacture, an article handling device comprising a pair of arms arranged adjacent to each other and pivoted to swing about two axes which'mak-e an angle with each other.

4. .In an article gripper and holder, the combination of a frame, a pair of oppositely inclined pivots on said frame and a pair of opposite gripping arms each pivoted on cue of said pivots, for the purpose described.

5. In an article gripping and handling de vice, the combination of a frame, a pair of pivot studs carried on opposite sides of said frame, the two studs being inclined in opposite directions, and a pair of grippers pivotally mounted on said studs, whereby when the grippers turn on the studs they will move both laterally and vertically at the same time.

6. In an article gripping and handling device, the combination of a frame arranged vertically, a pair of pivot studs carried on opposite sides of said frame, the two studs being inclined in opposite directions, a pair of grippers pivotally mounted on said stud whereby when the grippers turn on the studs they will move both laterally and vertically at the same time, a pin extending from one gripper to the other behind the grippers, said grippers having loose openings for receiving the opposite ends of said pin, and means connected with said pin for moving the pin downwardly and thereby pulling the grippers upwardly into position for grasping a package.

7. In a handling and gripping device, the combination of a handle, a sheet metal frame fixed at the top of said handle, the opposite sides of said frame at the top being bent over to form bearings, said bearings being arranged at opposite inclinations, pivot studs on said bearings projecting from the ends thereof, a pair of grippers each one consisting of asingle piece of metal having its sides spaced apart and perforated to receive the ends of one of said pivot studs, whereby the grippers are pivoted, and a spring extending across from one gripper to the other to force them inwardly and downwardly toward each other about their pivots.

8. In a handling and gripping device, the combination of a handle, a frame fixed at the top of said handle, bearings on said frame arranged at opposite inclinations, pivot studs on said bearings, a pair of grippers perforated to receive said pivot studs, whereby the grippers are pivoted, the inner sides of said grlppers being erforated, a pin extending through the perforations and arranged horizontally, a roll on said stud, and a vertical wire extending along the handle and passing over said roll, said wire having a projection near the bottom for manipulation of the grippers.

9. In an article gripper, the combination of a frame, a pair of grippers pivoted to said frame on oppositely inclined axes, a loop through which the rear ends of the two grippers pass, whereby the motion of the loop in a vertical direction will swing the pickers on their axes, each in an inclined direction.

10. In an article gripper, the combination of a frame, a pair of U-shaped grippers, each pivoted to said frame on an inclined axis, the two axes being inclined equally in opposite directions, a wire having a loop through which the rear ends of the two grippers pass, wherebythe motion of the wire and loop in a vertical direction will swing the pickers on their axes, each in an inclined direction.

11. In an article gripper, the combination of a handle, a frame secured to the top of the handle, an operating rod having a loop therein near the top, a spring on the handle for holding said loop normally at its highest point, and a pair of grippers passing through said loop and pivoted to the circular frame, whereby the pulling down of the handle will raise the grippers.

12. In an article gripper, the combination of a handle, a substantially circular frame secured to the top of the handle, an operating rod extending along the handle to the bottom having a loop therein near the top and a circular end surrounding the handle near the top, a spring on the handle for holding said loop normally at its highest point, and a pair of grippers passing through said loop and pivoted to the circular frame, whereby the pulling down of the handle will raise the grippers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature. i

, JOHN T. BEECHLYN. 

